First to Touch My Heart
by TheIrishShipperholic
Summary: This was written for a challenge - I think - on an old fan fiction site that I was once VERY proud to be a part of, and it is all about Ethan & Kristina. She's an adult in this, hence the apartment, and he finally sees that she is all grown up.


**First to Touch My Heart**  
Kristina/Ethan NC-17 one-shot

**Author's Note: After Jordan (the muse) saw the Kristina/Ethan/Sam scenes several months back & reading a fellow Ethan lover's challenge fiction, she was inspired to write a one-shot where they reunite during her junior year of college. Also, Kristina is being played by Kayla Ewell (ex-Caitlin, _The Bold and the Beautiful_), and OC Russell Jacobs is played by Kevin Schmidt (Noah, _The Young and the Restless_) **

**_Songs: No Ordinary Love & Two is Better than One  
Artists: Jennifer Love Hewitt and Boys Like Girls & Taylor Swift_**

**xoxoxo**  
**_This could have been just another day  
But instead we're standing here  
No need for words, its all been said  
In the way you hold me near  
I was alone on this journey  
You came along to comfort me  
Everything I want in life is right here_**

**Manchester, Connecticut**

Ethan knocked on the door to Kristina's apartment and waited for her to answer it.

He could hear her soft, angelic voice call out, "Come in, Ethan…" and he brought his hand up to the doorknob, which turned underneath it easily.

Pushing the door inward, Ethan walked into the spacious apartment, closed the door behind him and called out, "Kristina, where are you, luv?"

She appeared to his left, wearing a skintight halter top, rose pink, with a red sweater over it and skintight jeans with glittery silver heels.

Ethan could feel his heart start to race while his pulse pounded in his ears as she stepped closer and held out her hand.

Removing his leather coat, Ethan watched as Kristina hung up his coat—a gift from her—in the closet behind the apartment door before walking back over to him and asking, "Would you like to taste my cooking, Ethan?"

Gulping down what was left of his courage, Ethan answered, "That would depend, luv. What did you fix for dinner?"

**_Chorus  
'Cause  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
I was not prepared enough  
To fall so deep in love  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
You were the first to touch my heart  
Made everything right again  
With your extraordinary love_**

Kristina stopped him, however, before they could step into the spacious kitchen.

She ran back into her bedroom—which from his point of view he could see decorated the way he thought it might be: _her way_—and grabbed a plain navy blue silk scarf from the small coat rack sitting upon her dresser.

During her time in Europe last winter—a gift from her step mom Robin—Kristina became fascinated with scarves, so she bought some for everyone she loved or cared about: her mom, Sam, Molly, Georgie, Maxie, Robin, Lila & Rylee and brought them all back when she returned with her aunt Sarah Webber Lansing.

Returning to the living room area, Kristina instructed Ethan, "Before anyone tastes any of _my_ cooking, they must wear something over their eyes…"

Ethan allowed her to tie the scarf over his eyes before he felt her take his hand to lead him into the kitchen.

He felt her bring him to a stop and Ethan reached out, trying to get a feel around but nearly burned himself in the process.

He could hear Kristina's giggles to his left and Ethan reached out, pulling her flush against his rock-hard body.

**_Chorus  
'Cause  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
I was not prepared enough  
To fall so deep in love  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
You were the first to touch my heart  
Made everything right again  
With your extraordinary love_**

Reaching up, Ethan removed the blindfold before he said in a husky tone, "Kristina Davis-Corinthos, will you marry me?"

A smile made its way across her face as tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes while she said in a choked reply, "Yes, Ethan, I would love to marry you."

It was his turn to smile and he twirled her around then set her down before he went back into the living room to get the ring.

Kristina followed him to the doorway of the kitchen and watched in happy tears as he began to dig around in his coat.

Ethan felt her watching him and turned around to see one of the smiles he'd dreamed of seeing since her return in January.

They had met at Kelly's right before she was to go back to Yale and exchanged the journals they'd been writing in during her time in Europe.

Before she could leave to go see her mom & Mac, Sam & Jagger and Molly, who was crushing on the new "bad boy" at her middle school, Russell Jacobs, Ethan had pulled Kristina upstairs.

**_I get so weak  
When you look at me  
I get lost inside your eyes  
Sometimes the magic is hard to believe  
But you're her before my weary eyes  
You brought joy to my world  
Set me so free  
I want you to understand  
You're every breath that I breathe_**

He had pulled her into a passionate but still gentle kiss but they were interrupted by the insistent ringing of her cell phone.

It had been her brother in law Jagger, calling to tell her that Sam had given birth to her nephew Daniel Stone McCall-Cates and Sam wanted to see Kristina.

Once Kristina had left, Ethan stewed for a few minutes then headed to the Haunted Star, where he was a bartender.

Now, Ethan's heart began to do flips against his ribcage as his easy pace quickened, his smile became full as he unashamedly ran toward the woman he would marry.

Yes, he was going to marry Kristina. The decision had been made. The die cast. Not to say there hadn't been a moment of misgivings. Times when he had consciously pulled back, and his affections had become cautious. Too many years he'd lived with the pain, the fear of loving and being left. For too long he'd vowed never to feel that pain again. And even though he'd fought it, the fear had filled him again the past few days, forcing him to restrict his contact with Kristina to only brief calls. He knew he was scared. He knew the source, knew the consequences. Still he couldn't stop his withdrawal.

Then something happened those days without Kristina. A loneliness came, so vast, he could no longer be alone. Never before had he minded solitude. He'd preferred it, having learned early to take care of himself. All these years he'd taught himself not to need anyone else. And he never had until now.

And as she rushed toward him, Ethan felt his breath catch as he caught her easily & twirled her around as he had done in the kitchen.

**_Chorus  
'Cause  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
I was not prepared enough  
To fall so deep in love  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
You were the first to touch my heart  
Made everything right again  
With your extraordinary love_**

Ethan reached down between himself and Kristina, took her small hand in his own then led her over to the couch.

Kneeling down in front of her, Ethan struggled to open the jewelry box that the topaz, citrine and diamond encircled engagement ring was nestled in.

Kristina held her hand out and Ethan placed the small jewelry box in her slender hand, despite his own hand trembling visibly.

Gently prying open the box, Kristina handed it back to Ethan, who took it and held it out toward her.

She could tell that he was nervous so she tenderly & gently placed her hand over his and he began his practiced proposal: "Kristina, we met during a time that wasn't good for either of us. You had just started dating Kiefer and I had just been rejected by Rebecca Shaw. We agreed to be friends despite Kiefer hating me for even being in your life. But that didn't stop me from falling in love with you. So it is from the bottom of my heart that I ask you once again: Kristina Adela Davis-Corinthos, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, the one girl who makes my life—and heart—complete and will be my better half?"

Tears mad their way through her eyes as she quickly & silently nodded her head yes.

He gave her his charming smile then pulled out the ring, tugged her left hand toward him and slipped the ring onto the fourth finger of the same hand.

**_From the first day that we kissed  
I knew that I just couldn't let you go at all  
From this day on, remember this:  
That you're the only one I adore  
Can't we make this last forever  
This can't be a dream  
'Cause it feels so good to me_**

**Four Hours Later**

Port Charles, New York

Metro Court Hotel

Ethan held Kristina's hand as he led her into the hotel owned by his cousin Carly Benson.

She spotted them laughing and smiling, and when they reached the desk that she was behind, she said cheerfully, "Welcome to Metro Court. Are you here for business or pleasure?"

Ethan was about to answer when Kristina blurted out, "Pleasure!"

Nodding her head slowly, Carly began to type on the computer in front of her then looked around and handed them a hotel keycard.

Kristina dragged her new fiancé to the elevator and they climbed inside, where Kristina pressed the button for the 5th floor.

When the doors opened again, Ethan picked Kristina up in his arms and carried her down the hall, despite her protests.

Finally he set her down in front of their suite door, and inserted the keycard into the slot on the door.

**_Chorus  
'Cause  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
I was not prepared enough  
To fall so deep in love  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
You were the first to touch my heart  
Made everything right again  
With your extraordinary love_**

Opening the door, Ethan once again picked up Kristina in his arms and carried her into the suite.

Setting her down by the bed, he went back to shut the door then turned around to find her gone.

She appeared once again, sitting down on the bed and asking, "Do you regret meeting me all those years ago?"

It was to the point blunt, but he immediately shook his head. "No, luv…I do not regret meeting you. In fact, you're the best thing that has ever happened in my life."

"I mean it, Ethan," she insisted, surprised by how badly she needed to erase that uncertainty. She could handle doubt from anyone but him. "I've _never_ regretted one day of our relationship. And there have been times when I wish that you would've touched me." She offered the admission softly, her soft voice falling as her fingers fidgeted with the sweater she wore. "But only because you brought out the best in me."

He stepped closer, his hand going up to cup the side of her neck, while his fingers gently caressed the side of her neck. "And you brought out the best in me, Kristina. But I don't want any of this to ruin what we have."

She shook her head, slowly so she wouldn't disturb the comforting motion of his fingers. What she understood was that he wanted more, too. She needed his touch as he needed to touch her. "I don't, either."

**_Chorus  
'Cause  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
I was not prepared enough  
To fall so deep in love  
This is not your ordinary  
No ordinary love  
You were the first to touch my heart  
Made everything right again  
With your extraordinary love_**

"So, you don't hate me, then?"

She shook her head, her glance falling along with her voice. "I could never hate you," she murmured. "What happened all those years ago happened to both of us."

"Yes, it did."

The weight of his hand on her thigh shifted slightly, the faint friction of his fingers increasing the warmth. That heat shimmered up. The heat of his hand at the curve of her shoulder shimmered down. She swallowed. Hard.

"And I love you for it, just the same."

With her focus on her lap, her eyes were hidden from him. There was something there she didn't want him to see. Needing to know what it was, he slipped his thumb along her jaw and nudged up her chin.

The instant he did, his gut tightened.

**_Every mountain I had to climb  
Every river that I had to swim  
Every desert that I crossed  
Brought me one step closer to him  
And this incredible love we're in_**

Conflict and yearning struggled in the depths of her eyes.

Snared by that struggle, torn by it himself, he edged closer. "Hey," he murmured when her glance shied from his. "Look at me."

The conflict remained as his glance moved over her face, but the longing drew him as he slid his fingers into her hair. "Aw, Krissy," he whispered, and covered her mouth with his.

He had wanted her from the first moment their lips had touched. In that instant a barrier had disintegrated, crumbled right at his feet. Or maybe that pile of rubble had been his guard. Once that guard had fallen, he had found himself completely susceptible to everything he hadn't let himself consider about her before. He had always been drawn by her gentleness and the sense of tranquility that had surrounded her. The tranquility was gone. He'd all but destroyed it. Yet the gentleness remained. Beneath it he'd discovered a quietly simmering passion that fairly begged to be explored.

She opened to him, allowing the gentle intrusion of his tongue, playing havoc with his heart rate, heating his blood. Now, as before, she slowly leaned into him, inviting him near. A faint moan bubbled deep in her throat. Aroused by that small helpless sound, by the feel of her, he drank it in, kissed her more deeply.

Kristina cupped his cheek. Beneath her palm, the late-afternoon stubble of his beard felt deliciously rough, the skin of his temples amazingly smooth. She framed his face as he did hers, needing to be closer. That need felt as necessary to her as air. Each breath increased that need. Each breath drew his masculine scent deeper inside her, tightening her breasts, softening her low in her belly. But it was more than the shockingly quick physical desire he elicited that slowly drew her arms around his neck. It was simply that need to be close, and to know for a few precious moments how it felt to be wanted by the only man she'd ever loved.

Heaven help her, she would always be in love with him, too.

**_Chorus  
Its unlike anything I ever imagined  
And just like everything I've ever dreamed of  
This man, this life, this love  
This man, this life, this love_**

He knew he should let her go. The thought registered vaguely through the red haze of desire slowly fogging Ethan's brain. He should ignore the way her scent filled his lungs, the softness of her skin, the supple strength in the slender muscles of her arms. He ached to feel her against him, under him. He wanted to know the shape of her body, her breasts. He wanted to know the taste of her nipples he could feel harden beneath the fabric under his palm. She was becoming like a drug in his blood, making him crave, making him need. The rational part of him knew that if he didn't pull back, he would only complicate a situation that was growing more complicated by the second. And he would pull away. The very second she told him to stop.

His mouth never left hers as he rose forward, easing her back, sliding her up with him on the bed. Covering her body with his, he slid his fingers through the silk of her hair. She mimicked the motion, slipping her hands through his, drawing him deeper still.

He wanted more. He'd told her that. The knowledge made common sense fade, turned rationality inside out, trashed sensibility. Kristina knew that she needed to be sensible about him, too. But the world around them had faded. All that was left was the darkness beyond the window and the heavy beat of the rain on the glass. Even the corners of the room seemed to dim, closing them in, cocooning them in each other. She had a lifetime to be sensible. Now nothing mattered as much as the quiet hunger that built between them while the rain continued to fall.

His hand slipped beneath her hip, aligning her more intimately, pressing her into his hardness. Heat jolted through her as his breath caught. Her own stalled, too, leaving her heart racing as she arched against him, fisting his jacket in her hand, aching to be closer still.

"Kristina."

Ethan groaned her name. The guttural sound of it tore from his chest as he lifted his head. With his heart beating like a trip-hammer, he smoothed her hair from her face. His eyes glittered darkly on hers. She was beautiful. Delicate. Exquisite. She had him ready to bay at the moon. And if they didn't slow down, he was going to undo every button on her sweater, strip off everything under it and do what he'd wanted to since he'd walked into her life.

The thought alone would have made him moan had she not just touched her fingers to his mouth. With her glance searching his face, he completely forgot what he'd been about to say. Or if he'd intended to say anything at all.

**_I thought love was a fairy tale  
Waiting on my prince to come  
Tried on slippers but nothing fit  
Make believe is no comparison  
To the reality of this love_**

Naked desire shimmered in her eyes, as raw as the hunger that ripped through him when his mouth covered hers once more. His hand slipped over the tight mound of her breast, seeking buttons, easing aside her sweater, freeing her from cotton, slippery satin and lace.

She moved with him, pushing her small hands under his jacket, sliding it back from his shoulders. His jacket hit the floor, along with his shirt, her top and her jeans. Slacks, shoes and socks were peeled away. Filmy lace and dangerously red cotton landed somewhere beyond the bed. His mouth never left hers unless it was to follow his hands to kiss the skin he exposed. And once the barriers were gone, his hands never left her body except to fumble for the little foil packet in his wallet and pull her under the sheets to warm the gooseflesh pebbling her skin.

Their legs tangled, hard and rough over shapely and smooth. His mouth became more demanding. Kristina encouraged the demand, looping her arms around his neck, stretching herself against him while his seeking hands roamed her back, her hips. The hard wall of his chest crushed her aching breasts, making her press closer. The corded muscles of his stomach, the hard length of him, his heavy thighs, she could feel all of him now. It just wasn't enough.

She whispered his name.

He whispered hers back, feathering kisses along her ear, the side of her neck, dipping to catch one turgid nipple.

She stroked his hair, feathered kisses of her own along the corded muscles of his shoulders.

Ethan eased her to her back, need clawing at her gut. He wanted to lose himself in her. He wanted her lost in him.

**_Chorus  
Its unlike anything I ever imagined  
And just like everything I've ever dreamed of  
This man, this life, this love  
This man, this life, this love_**

That need was like a living thing inside him as he rolled on their protection. For one totally insane instant he considered not using it. He wanted nothing between them. The need to be in her without that barrier felt primitive, basic. But the need to protect her, to protect them both from an even greater complication banished the thought in the moments before he lifted himself over her.

**_Chorus  
Its unlike anything I ever imagined  
And just like everything I've ever dreamed of  
This man, this life, this love  
This man, this life, this love_**

She reached up, seeming as desperate for him as he felt for her when he eased himself inside her, robbing her of her breath, stalling his own. He gritted his teeth against the exquisite feel of her, wanting to take it slow, wanting to savor. But what he wanted no longer mattered. Conscious thought became impossible. He wasn't even sure where his body ended and hers began. He knew only the blinding, white-hot heat that seemed to fuse their very souls.

**_This love_**


End file.
